The Girl from the DVD
by McGonagall's Bola
Summary: Terri's back! Jay enters the mix once again as well... -REWRITTEN!
1. Summary

**FULL SUMMARY: **It has been exactly a year after Paul's death, and Terri admits to herself that the missing still remains. That's in fact just why she's determined to go back to Bristol-Hillman, and fulfill her brother's last wish. He wouldn't have wanted her to waste her talent, but act on it and become great. In all her stress around her studies, she, however, forgets the final application date for the summer music program and finds out she's late...


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Terri glanced up at the alarm clock on her nightstand. She rolled back over on her back and looked up at the ceiling. She hadn't been able to sleep for days, and she knew why. Today was the day when he had died just last year. Terri's unconsciousness felt it, too… resulting in the past sleepless nights. She briefly shook her head and swung her legs over the edge of her bed, kicking aside her covers at the same time. She allowed her feet to find the floor and got up, rubbing her eyes out with one hand as she pushed aside the curtains with the other. Flagstaff was still dark and quiet outside. It was still early, too, but at least this would be an acceptable time to wake up. It was around six in the morning. Terri usually didn't get up before seven-thirty.

She hadn't been sleeping at all, and she realized that she must have waited until it was late enough to get up. Today was her last day at school before the summer holidays, and even though she should be happy about it, it also reminded her of something not so nice. Terri let go of the curtain, letting it fall back into place, and padded towards the door. She closed it behind her silently so as not to wake up her parents in the room straight across hers and walked towards the stairs.

Instead of making her way downstairs, though, her glance caught something that lead her to the room next to hers, the first door on your left when you came up the stairs. She swallowed and pushed down the door handle. Paul's room looked as if he still lived there, except for the empty closets and unmade bed. Paul's clothes and everything had been given to charity. His personal things, like his guitar and CDs and more of that, were in a box on the bottom of his wardrobe. His posters were still hanging in the same place and his radio was still in the same spot as it had always been. Terri walked over to it and found the first CD of Three Days Grace in it. In the past year, they had gotten out another album. One Paul would never buy.

Terri bit her bottom lip and clasped the lid closed again, she sat on the mattress of what used to be Paul's bed and took a deep breath trying not to cry. Her right hand reached up to clasp over Paul's necklace. Oh, she missed him. And now she had failed to fulfill his last wish. He had been the one to get her into Bristol-Hillman with his DVD. It had been the scariest, hardest, best thing that had ever happened to her, and now, through all the stress of finishing her exams, she had simply forgotten about sending the application. By the time she had time to remind herself of doing it, the final application date had already striven by. "I'm sorry, Paul..." Terri whispered, and started crying.

Rays of sunshine peeked through the curtains, filling the room with light and warming the girl's face. She used the finger tips of her shaking right hand to brush away the tears and got up, walking to the wardrobe and opening one of its doors to reveal the box in which she knew Paul's personal things were kept. It hurt to see how such an energetic and amazing human being like her brother could be reduced to a box of little things. She knelt down in front of the box, and opened it to look inside. A sad smile washed over her face as she reached out and pulled out the crazy furry ball he used to have in his car, on the rear view mirror. She couldn't help but smile a little upon seeing it again. He'd once won it at the funfair with pellet shooting.

She dropped the furry ball again, picking up the heavy box and carrying it to the bed, sitting down next to it and running her finger tips over its contents. Her fingers slid over something metal and she caught it curiously. His keys. She easily recognized their house key, of which she had one exemplar herself, and his car key. She swallowed again. The car had been total loss after the accident. The left side had been damaged beyond repair, she'd heard her dad inform her mom a couple of days after the accident. The left side, where Paul had sat. She clutched the keys tightly in her hand until it hurt, then dropped them back into the box.

Terri changed her mind. Even though it had been a year, she couldn't do this yet. It was too soon. She wasn't strong enough yet. She closed the box again and stood up with it, placing it back on the bottom of the wardrobe, closing its open door. She sighed and noticed how the bedroom was more enlightened than before. Terri's eyes traveled one last time over the room, over the picture on his nightstand: the same one of her with her brother that she… Terri heard some noise further along the hallway, indicating that her parents were getting up, too.

She silently closed the door to Paul's room behind her and walked downstairs, hoping that her mom had brought a new pack of cornflakes from the store yesterday.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The sad anniversary of the accident and Paul's death had gone by quietly. Nina had visited, and Terri had gone with her and her parents to place a new bouquet of flowers on Paul's grave. June had gradually rolled into July, and Terri was helping in the restaurant again. She couldn't help her thoughts from trailing off to Bristol-Hillman Music Conservatory as she continued cleaning the empty tables. She wondered if Jay would be going again. The two of them had kept on mailing each other for a while, but suddenly without reason the back and forth mailing had stopped. Neither of them had really tried to get back in contact. She sighed, going harder on the table top. She wondered if her friends Kiwi and Sloane would be there again as well. Most likely.

As Terri felt pleased about the tables, she started undoing her apron and hung it at the peg behind the cash registers, taking her black jacket and pulling it on slowly. "I'm going home, are you closing off?" Terri yelled.

"Yeah! Good night!" Nicole's answer came from the restaurant's kitchen.

"Good night!" Terri replied, walking out of the door and closing it behind her.

It was abnormally quiet when she arrived home about ten minutes later and she didn't take the time to undo her jacket but went to find her parents in the living room, the television playing almost inaudibly. "Theresa?" Her dad's voice sounded, when he heard his daughter's footsteps in the adjoining kitchen. "Could you come in here for a moment?" He asked, as she usually went straight upstairs until dinner.

Terri swallowed. Her father's voice sounded serious yet calm and friendly at the same time. She made her way through the kitchen and joined her parents in the living room. She didn't sit down, but just stared at the envelope in her dad's hand. "You received a letter from Bristol-Hillman Music Conservatory today," Frances stated calmly looking at her daughter's confused expression. "You're accepted."

"That's impossible," Terri said. "I told you I was too late to apply."

"Maybe, but a little note came with the letter, signed by a Mr. Torvald," Simon said, handing her the letter. Terri accepted it curiously and sank down in one of the comfortable chairs. She could feel both her parents' eyes on her as she simply ignored the letter saying that she had been accepted and pulled out a piece of grey paper, written on by a somewhat familiar hand. Terri's eyes slid over the words fast, trying to grasp as much of the content as possible.

_Dear Theresa,_

_We were all very surprised not to have received a letter of application from you this year. We actually had the impression that you enjoyed last summer here and would have liked to come back. Your other teachers and myself agreed to invite you for a second year at the Music Conservatory. Your performance at the end of the summer music program last year happened to be enough to convince us of your talent, and we would all like to see you again in August._

_Best wishes,  
Mr. Torvald_

By the time Terri finished reading, her eyes had started shining with happiness. She couldn't believe it. Maybe she would actually end up going back to L.A. after all! "Oh, dad... Please?" She begged, looking up at her father hopefully. He sighed and slowly nodded his approval, and Terri jumped up from her seat and ran to hug him and her mom. "Thank you!" She squeaked.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

L.A. A gentle breeze swept through the seventeen-year-old's hair as she smiled up at the building. She'd managed to keep her jacket close this time, and her train had been just on time. Terri quietly picked up her bags and walked towards the door, pushing it open and dragging herself inside with all her luggage. Everything was very quiet in the hallways as she slowly made her way to her room. Terri felt curious as to whom she'd be sharing with this year. Maybe Sloane? She smiled wider thinking about her friends. She couldn't wait to see them again.

Terri looked up at the room number and knocked politely. When no answer came, she quietly stepped inside to find it empty still. She'd barely put her heavy bags down on the bed most left, when she heard bumbling outside in the hallway and decided to go see what was causing it – or who, perhaps. Terri walked over to the door and opened it to see a huge travelling bag, being followed inside by a petite girl that she assumed to be around fifteen years old. "Thank you!" came a high pitched voice from behind the travelling bag.

Terri quietly closed the door behind the dark haired girl, her eyebrows crinkling lightly. The other girl seemed happy to be able to put her bag down. "Hello," she said, holding out her hand and walking towards Terri, tripping over her own travelling bag. "I'm fine!" The fifteen-year-old squeaked when Terri reached out to help. Within seconds, the girl had scrambled upright again and held out her hand once more. "I'm Leah," she whispered.

Terri hesitated an instant before shaking the girl's hand and introduced herself as well. "Hi. I'm Terri."

"I suppose we're sharing this room, then?" Leah asked.

"I guess, yeah."

"I'm sorry. I'm a very clumsy kind of person. My sisters always tend to laugh at me because of it. They share a room just a little further along the hallway, Carrie and Molly. They're twins. They have been here last year, too. I'm youngest. Have you been here last year?"

Terri nodded. "Yeah, I have. Maybe I have met your sisters, then?"

"Maybe," Leah smiled. "What do you play?" she asked, sinking down on her knees and opening her travelling bag, opening one door of the closet and starting to throw her things in the left compartment. "Oh, do you want the left side, maybe?" she asked, looking at Terri again.

"No, the right is just fine for me," Terri answered, following her roommate's example and sitting down, trying to unzip her own bag.

"So, what do you play?"

"I don't… really play," Terri replied. "I can play the piano, but I mostly sing."

"Really?" The younger girl exclaimed, smiling. "I can't sing. I play the piccolo. Carrie plays the piano, and Molly plays the cello."

"That's nice," Terri replied. If she'd ever thought Sloane to be a little weird...


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was early morning when Terri quietly shut the door behind her, and roommate Leah was still sleeping peacefully. When she neared the end of the hallway, she almost literally bumped into Kiwi and Sloane, who both came from the right hallway. When Terri looked up to see whom she'd run into, she smiled, giving each of them a hug. "Hey! How have you been?"

"We have been great," Kiwi said, pulling his girlfriend close and smiling down on her. Sloane smiled, too. "How have you been?" he asked.

"Just fine," Terri replied, still smiling as the trio continued their way down to the refectory to have breakfast together. "Have you seen anyone familiar around here yet?" She asked as the three of them turned a corner.

"Robin, of course," Kiwi sighed, rolling his eyes sympathetically.

"The Hallow sisters," Sloane said. "The one with the short hair plays the piano, too. Her twin sister plays the cello. They said that their younger sister Leah is here, too."

"I believe I actually share a room with her," Terri replied. "I don't think I have ever met the twins, though," she said, as they continued to walk the hallways.

"Oh, but you must have met them!" Kiwi exclaimed, detaching himself from Sloane and walking backwards in front of the girls, so that they could see him properly. "Carrie, the one that plays the piano, has got short carrot red hair," Kiwi explained, "It stands in every direction," he added, bringing his hands to his head and trying to give Terri a picture of it.

"Oh, yeah!" Terri said. "I remember her! And the one with the long blue and brown hair who was always with her, was that her sister? I never had classes with either of them, but I do remember that they were always together."

Sloane nodded. "The one with the blue and brown hair is Molly. They haven't changed a bit."

"Hey, does their sister look so weird, too?" Kiwi wondered.

Terri smiled, shaking her head as they walked towards the end of the hallway – Kiwi had started walking next to them again in the mean time – "No," she said. "She looks just like a regular girl, with dark brown braided pig tails that reach her shoulder. She's incredibly clumsy, though. When she got up early this morning to run quickly to the bathroom, she'd forgotten that she wasn't at home and stepped out of her bed on the wrong side, knocking over her bedside table."

Kiwi and Sloane laughed. "Any of you seen Jay, yet?" Terri asked, trying to keep her voice casual. "Any of you knows if he's coming back?"

Both of her friends looked at her awkwardly. "We would have expected you to know that," Sloane replied, lifting her eyebrows questioningly as they stepped through the open door into the refectory, that was still quiet that early.

"I don't," Terri whispered, biting her lower lip as the three of them walked towards a table in front.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Terri sighed deep right from the moment she had shut the door to Mr. Wesson's office. It hadn't gone really well... Theresa Fletcher's thoughts had mostly been with Jay, more than with her own singing. Mr. Wesson, perhaps being the most impatient and professional teacher she'd had since Elementary, well... He hadn't been really understanding for what might have going on inside the teenager's head. He mainly focused on the singing, and not really the person behind it. He rarely smiled, too. It hadn't gone well.

Lifting her dark brown shoulder bag higher, the young blonde started walking into the direction of her room, following the seemingly endless hallway. Terri wouldn't be having classes until four, and since it was only ten o'clock in the morning, she decided to turn left instead of right and walked out into the gentle morning breeze. Maybe she could have a bite somewhere and shoe shop. She was really in need of new flats, she realized as she looked down on the dark blue pair she was currently wearing. She'd seen nice All Star Light Ankle Boots yesterday, on her way from the train station to Bristol-Hillman Music Conservatory. Maybe she'd go find the store and buy them; if her size was still available, at least.

Terri had barely started walking out of the huge building, when the sound of a male voice with familiar accent stopped her. The seventeen-year-old couldn't quite place the familiarity she seemed to recognize at first, but when she turned around to look at the owner of the voice with British accent, everything fell into place.

Jay Corgan came running towards her, halting only right in front of her, panting and lightly bent over with his hands on his knees. "Didn't you hear me?" he asked.

"No, Jay. I haven't in months."

Jay's breathing slowly returned to normal, and he looked up at the blonde with his eyes wide. "You never mailed back, either, Terri," he said. "I even sent you an e-card for Christmas and New Years, but never got something back. I thought that maybe you'd found yourself another and better guy, and since you never replied, well... I didn't, either."

"I never got an e-card for Christmas or New Years!" Terri exclaimed, brow crinkling.

"I did send them, Terri," Jay replied in a more serious and softer tone. "Listen, I'm sorry."

"Me, too," Terri whispered back, now leaning in to give him a hug.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"So," Terri began, when she and Jay were sitting right in front of each other in a cozy bistro in town. "We still have three weeks until the final performances on the end of the program, and I'm wondering... are we still going for it together? I mean..."

"I haven't gained any more talent in writing songs," Jay replied. "Anything I try write that should go with my compositions, still sucks. And you're about the best song writer I ever met, so your help really would be appreciated... unless you allow me to make a fool of myself there alone." The two of them shared a brief look and smiled. Jay quietly set his beer back on the table, eyes glistening as he looked at the pretty young woman opposite him. He simply couldn't keep his chocolate brown eyes off of her.

Terri smiled wider. "Well... I couldn't have that done to the audience, could I?"

"Then, Theresa Fletcher, I believe we have got a deal?"

"I actually believe we do, Mr. Corgan," Terri replied, chuckling as she slowly picked up her glass of orange juice and emptied it before placing it back down. "I saw nice All Stars in town yesterday. I was just on my way to go try and perhaps buy them before you stopped me, so fancy to go with me?"

Jay's eyes rolled back into his head. "What do girls seriously have with shoes?"

* * *

Thus, Jay and Terri tried to practice a lot between their classes – if possible, together – during the rest of the month. By the end of August and the Bristol-Hillman summer program, the two music students had managed to write a couple of songs together. Neither of them had a real preference of which one to sing at the final performances, but honestly, both of them had just so much fun writing music and lyrics together and composing that the 10,000 dollar scholarship didn't particularly matter anymore. It would be nice, of course. Sure, it would, but it wasn't really their main goal anymore now. The experience, and the friendships solidified at Bristol-Hillman Music Conservatory actually had been prize enough in itself.


	8. Chapter 7

**It's you**

_._

_I believe_

_That it doesn't really matter how _

_Far we are apart_

_For you_

_To still be into my_

_Heart and thoughts_

_._

_I have no idea where you are or _

_What you're doing_

_I however don't think it_

_Changes all that much_

_._

_I have made mistakes_

_Like every other human being_

_I have always thought_

_Never to be happy again_

_._

_I have listened to your opinions, though_

_And now I'm standing here_

_Without you, my friend_

_I never would have smiled again_

_._

_Even though you aren't here_

_It's you who pulled me through_

_Ooh Oooh..._

_._

_It's you who pulled me through_

_Made me smile again_

_It's you who pulled me through_

_Made me feel happy again_

_._

_It's you who pulled me through_

_You you, you_

_._

_Ooh Oooh_

* * *

This is one of my own songs.


End file.
